-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com north korean authorities have more provocative words for their neighbors. they're considering overhauling a disabled nuclear facility so they can produce plutonium. and a theater for the traditional art of kabuki has reopened in tokyo. actors hope it will draw a new generation of fans. welcome to nhk world "newsline." north korean leaders are pushing ahead with plans that could help them build up their nuclear weapons arsenal.

the state-run korean central news agency says scientists in the reclusive nation will restart a reactor that can be used to produce plutonium. the unit is located in yongbyon north of the capital pyongyang. the reactor generates electricity and operators can use the spent fuel to make plutonium. north korean scientists have used plutonium in experiments, and analysts believe they have built several nuclear weapons with it. authorities shut down the reactor in 2007 and destroyed part of its infrastructure. that followed an agreement with members of the six-party talks. the group comprises the two koreas, the u.s., china, japan, and russia. north korean officials say their decision to restart all nuclear-related facilities in yongbyon is part of efforts to deal with an electricity shortage. they add it's in line with leader kim jong-un's pledge to rebuild the economy and strengthen the nuclear program at the same time. the spokesperson for south korea's foreign ministry called the announcement extremely regrettable.

>> translator: north korea should keep their promise and agreements, and they should maintain denuclearization of the korean peninsula. >> cho tai-young said the south korean government will watch the developments closely. japanese government officials are also weighing in on north korea's decision. chief cabinet secretary yoshihide suga called the restart of the reactor a provocation. >> translator: it's a provocative act that goes against the six-party talks agreement. it constitutes a violation of the u.n. security council resolutions. japan needs to treat this issue as a matter of utmost concern. >> suga added japan will work on this issue with the u.s. and south korea, as well as china and russia. china is north korea's closest ally. but government officials there

aren't happy about the decision to fire up the reactor. >> translator: north korea's announcement is deplorable and we are on alert. we believe in dialogue and negotiation in order to deal with the situation. sanctions would not solve the problem fundamentally. >> he says the situation on the korean peninsula is complicated and sensitive. he's urging relevant parties to keep calm and exercise restraint. nhk world is tracking this story for us. he says authorities in pyongyang are trying to gain more bargaining power. >> reporter: restarting the reactor can be seen as another threat aimed at the united states and neighboring countries. kim jong-un's father, the late kim jong-il, has long wanted north korea to become a full-fledged nuclear power. he believed it would help strengthen his country's negotiating position with the

u.s. but authorities in pyongyang have always insisted the nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. north korean scientists intends for their work in the mid 1980s. the u.s., south korea, japan, and other nations demanded full access to nuclear facilities. but north korean officials refused. they ignored international protests and in 1994 instrutted scientists to extract plutonium from spent fuel rods. the six-party talks began in 2003 with the goal of halting the north's nuclear development. the north koreans agreed in 2007 to dismantle nuclear facilities at nyongbyon. international atomic energy inspectors confirmed the same year that crews had stopped operating the reactor. by then, former iaea inspector

david albright estimated the country already possessed as much as 50 kilograms of plutonium. however, the north koreans might have used up some of their supply. they carried out three nuclear experiments since 2006, the latest in february. analysts believe scientists used plutonium in the first two tests but they are not sure about the third. the people's assembly unanimously adopted legislation on monday to reinforce the nation's status as a nuclear power. that essentially means they show the intention to produce more plutonium to further develop their nuclear program. officials in the u.s. and south korea have long been pushing for denuclearization on the korean peninsula, but it is getting almost impossible to convince north korea's leaders to abandon their nuclear program.

south korea's president is standing firm in the face of the growing threats from her neighbor. park geun-hye ordered her ministers and intelligence chief to be prepared to deter or respond to any provocation. park held her first security minister's meeting since she took power in february. she stressed national security is the cornerstone of her administration. the president went over possible counter measures against north korea. she said south korean forces will strike back strongly in the event of an attack. park also noted it is just as important to contain north korea with military deterrents and diplomacy. she said that will stop authorities in pyongyang from even thinking about challenging their neighbor. a people tested by politics and history. innovators whose technology spread around the world. artists who capture the imaginations of audiences

everywhere. these are the faces of south korea. nhk world updates you on what's happening across the peninsula, wednesday and thursday here on "newsline." militants attacked a power plant in pakistan on tuesday. unrest continues in the country in the lead-up to the scheduled general elections. pat here's the story. >> the attack left at least seven people dead and raises fears of possible electric shortages in the major city of peshawar. the incident serves as a reminder of national leaders' failure to stop militant attacks, and manage chronic power shortages. dozens of militants targeted the power station with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. >> translator: five people have given their lives while performing their duties.

the attackers have taken with them some members of the operations and maintenance staff. so far, there is no trace of them. >> no groups have claimed responsibility for the attack. the plant is one of the largest in northwestern pakistan, and is normally a key power supplier to peshawar city. >> translator: restoration will take time, as the massive damage. there's too much to repair. >> the authority that manages the plant says an entire grid station was destroyed, meaning local people's daily lives will be affected. a 40-year-old housewife in pakistan has become the first woman in the country's tribal area to run for a seat in the national parliament. the northwestern region is a haven for insurgents, and is known for conservative beliefs, including denying education for women. badam zari spoke in a press conference on monday.

she says she will enter the election in an effort to highlight the problems women face. >> translator: i made this decision to serve and help our sisters and mothers in the area. our area is poor and backward. we have problems in the health and education sectors. this is why i decided to take part in the election. >> it is a semiautonomous tribal area on the border with afghanistan. militant insurgents have a stronghold in the region. most of the local girls do not go to school. women rarely work outside their homes, and wear long clothing, covering most of their skin when they're outside. the pakistani taliban has a history of using violence to enforce their hard-line views on women. last year, militants shot 15-year-old schoolgirl malala yousafzai in the head after she

advocated education for girls. against this backdrop of violence, some locals are praising zari's candidacy. >> translator: this woman has broken barriers, and her action is very courageous. she is paving the way for others, especially women in other districts of the federal administered tribal areas. she is making it possible for other women to come forward. >> general elections are scheduled for may 11th. and zari hopes that will give her time to convince women to vote. over one-third of registered voters in her constituency are women. which means zari could be a strong candidate if she can convince women to get to the polls. but many men in the tribal region have long discouraged women from voting. a series of sex attacks on local and foreign women in india is taking a toll on the country's tourism industry. the incredible india advertising campaign presents the country as

an ideal destination for foreign tourists. but their numbers have slumped in the three months since a highly publicized rape case. a new survey reveals that the overall number of foreign tourists arrivals has fallen 25% in the past quarter, compared with the same period last year. the sharpest drop was seen in the number of female tourists, which decreased 35%. the study was conducted by the associated chambers of commerce and industry of india. following the widely reported gang rape of a university student, at least two attacks on foreign tourists have been reported. the indian government has made efforts to toughen rape laws, but the spate of new reports has led to public outcry, and a demand for greater security for women. the recent study says travelers who had been planning trips to india had opted for other asian countries, such as malaysia, thailand, or indonesia. the survey results come as a

blow to india, where the tourism industry is a key earner in a period of lagging economic growth. and that will wrap up our bulletin. i'm patchari raksawong in bangkok. >> patchari, thanks. efforts are under way in china to tighten domestic regulations. the laws are lax compared to industrialized countries. the japan international cooperation agency is hosting the visit by officials from china's national peoples congress and the ministry of environmental action. the officials are learning about strict controls based on the japanese model. one chinese official said the challenge is to promote economic group and environmental

protection at the same time. >> translator: i hope i will be able to learn about it at this program. >> they will learn about municipal governments and study the penalties imposed on businesses that discharge pollutants. they will visit factories with advanced technology and meet with ngos working to protect the environment. the latest euro zone unemployment numbers are out. they show the jobless rate in the currency block remained unchanged at the worst level in february. the european union statistics office reports the jobless rate stood at 12% in the month, the same as the revised rate in january and the worst since the euro was introduced.

spain a had a rate of 26.3% followed by portugal. 14% of people in cyprus were without work. unemployment in greece came to 26.4% in september. that's the latest month for which data from athens are available. concern is growing that things may get worse. the euro zone economy is expected to contract for a second straight year. here are the latest market figures.

camera men working for the u.s. military captured harrowing footage during world war ii. some of the most disturbing scenes were filmed on japan's southern island of okinawa. 30 years ago a group of local residents decided to make use of those archives. their campaign has only just ended. >> reporter: the door to an archive, years of historical footage showing the bat of okinawa. the last major engagement between u.s. and japanese troops. the fierce fighting started in april 1945 and lasted almost three months. over 200,000 people lost their lives. more than half of them civilians. u.s. military camera men shot

these scenes. after the war, the footage remained in the berths of the u.s. national archive. in 1983 a group in okinawa began a campaign to get the film in japan. they called themselves the film movement. they asked for public donations so they could start buying archive stock. the group eventually collected 110,000 feet, 50 hours of screen time. the group held film events across japan for 30 years. but no longer. >> reporter: most of the members are now in their 80s and 90s. they were struggling to raise

funds and organize events. >> translator: i joined the movement because i didn't want the tragic war to be repeated. it's sad to think this is the last day for the group. i feel lonely. >> she was 7 years old at the time of the battle. she lost her mother and a brother and two small sisters in the fighting. she joined the film movement to pass on her experiences. >> translator: i firmly believe that people like us who experienced the cruelties of war should not remain silent. >> reporter: on this day,

ishihara spoke to a group of junior high school students. ♪ ishihara and her family were looking for shelter and a bomb fell from the sky. a direct hit. >> translator: i don't know how long i was looking for my family, but when i finally found them, both my mother and brother were dead, along with many others. they were all lying in a sea of blood, their insides around them. i screamed and asked my mother to wake up. i said, mother, you promised we would live together and die together. i begged my brother to wake up, but it was all in vain. >> reporter: her story had a powerful effect. >> translator: i couldn't imagine such a thing happening.

i couldn't stop my tears. we should never start a war again. >> translator: i want to pass on my experiences to younger generations while i can, so these intolerable incidents will never be repeated. i think that's my mission. >> reporter: the film movement has handed over its collection to okinawa's public record office. ofals say the film will continue to serve as materials for peace education. nhk world, okinawa. paris has its opera house. new york has its carnegie hall. tokyo has kabukiza, the newly built landmark theater had its opening on tuesday.

people are watching to see what new chapters of cultural history will be written in this theater. nhk world's kaho izumitani reports. ♪ >> reporter: the sounds of drums welcomed back fans to kabuki's traditional home. followers of the centuries-old art beat a path to the door. >> translator: it's a once-in-a-lifetime event, so i'm so glad to be here. >> reporter: workers first built this theater more than a century ago. crews have rebuilt it several times after a fire in 1921, after bombing during the second world war, and again four years ago when they decided it needed another makeover. architects set the kabukiza

within a structure that rises 29 stories above ground with 4 levels below. offices and stores surround a theater that seats more than 1,800 people. technicians upgraded the sound system. and they installed screens that display the actors' lines in japanese or in english. producers hope the upgrades will draw a new generation to the theater. fans of kabuki have been looking forward to this day for years. the weather didn't help. still, people started lining up as early as 3:00 in the morning to be among the first to get inside. the lucky ones got tickets for the opening performance. >> we're here to discover kabuki we didn't know before. >> reporter: some of kabuki's greatest names won't get the chance to perform here. a number of actors died during the renovations, including three named national living treasures.

nakamura kanzaburo challenged the establishment and developed a new style of performance. ichikawa danjuro brought kabuki to foreign audiences. in 2007, he won france's highest cultural award. >> translator: we've experienced great losses over the last year. i'm here with my sincere condolences, but at the same time, i expect the younger kabuki actors to carry on with the spirit of their predecessors. >> reporter: young actors and veterans will perform in the first shows which will run for the next year. theirs is an old art. they say now they set the stage for a new chapter in their history. kaho izumitani, nhk world, tokyo.

it's been raining in tokyo. better weather is in the forecast. rachel ferguson is here with what to expect here and for the rest of the oh world. >> it is going to get better but rain for much of japan. here's the low that's bringing the precipitation. here is the heavier spot of rain. that's really going to be clinging to the eastern side of the down oh tri into wednesday. by wednesday night conditions should improve. when all is said and done in cantor regions you should expect 100, 120 millimeters of rain is not out of the question. the winds will be strong here, too. i want to take you also to china. we have been talking about the heavy rain impacting southeastern portions here for the last several weeks the rainy season has started. nine days earlier than usual according to the meteorological agency. in the next three days anywhere you see orange is expecting another 150 millimeters of rain. that's not good news.

there is extensive flooding here. unfortunately that moisture will come through the weekend. you can see the next band of rain just to the west of xionxing. not a break in the conditions now. a little bit of good news in eastern asia. temperatures improve in major cities in the region. 14 degrees in tokyo on wednesday. warming to 21 by thursday. taipei will warm up to 30 degrees. then seoul jumping up to 20 degrees which is a really big improvement from your monday and tuesday temperatures. on we go to the americas to focus on the southern plains. we have a large low pressure system bringing some severe weather. it is also going to bring you some well-needed, much-needed rain in texas. it might be too much and there is a potential for flash flooding. when you have 80 millimeters fall in a short space of time.

you will also be seeing in the hot spot here large hail. about the size of a golf ball. damaging winds are likely as well as the potential for tornadoes. so severe weather down here in the south. temperatures are also going to be impacted. we've got 8 degrees forecast for the high in oklahoma city. wednesday will be chilly as well. toward the end of the week, temperatures are moderating to the south. all right. on into europe lastly. things are looking pretty similar to the last couple of days. strong high pressure is in place across the northern half of the continent. plenty of sunshine available. it doesn't translate the to spring-like weather unfortunately. the highs are still very low. down across the south is where most of the action is. we've got a couple of low pressure systems here. they have been working to bring heavy rain and also some severe thunderstorms. we even had a tornado touching down in serbia. the weather has not been good here at all.

i want to show you video out of hungary showing you the flooding that's been occurring here. because of the heavy rain and the rapid snow melt that's been warming to the south after a very cold spring. then in croatia we're going to see in the next shot we are also looking at severe flooding here, too. many of the local roads have been closed to traffic. and, yeah, this hasn't stopped everyone. people are still trying to get through by book, even driving through the floodwaters which is so dangerous. very, very dangerous. do not drive your car. there is a little bit of good news. the waters seem to be receding now. we'll look at your temperatures now across europe. chilly to the north certainly. here's your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. for all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us.